E' stata una manifestazione forse piccola nei numeri ma grande nel contenuto e nella sentita partecipazione dei presenti quella indetta dai Giovani Democratici di Modena, Arcigay Modena più una sfilza di altre associazioni che hanno prontamente aderito.
Il Luogo scelto per la manifestazione era piazza Matteotti, la stessa piazza, neanche a farlo apposta, in cui qualche migliaio di donne a metà febbraio dello scorso anno si ritrovò al grido di “Se non ora quando”, per protestare contro Berlusconi e il suo Governo, stanche dell'immagine che della donna veniva costantemente data. E' passato poco più di un anno, il governo è cambiato ma ancora una volta ci si è dovuti ritrovare per protestare contro affermazioni discriminatorie, per difendere diritti e libertà che in un paese democratico, nel 2012 dovrebbero essere acquisiti da un pezzo.
Quando sono giunto in piazza attorno alle 15.40 un nugolo di giovani era già sul posto, indaffarato ad organizzare gli ultimi dettagli. C'era frenesia, era la prima volta per una manifestazione del genere a Modena. Chi organizzava sentiva sulle spalle il significato, enorme, di quel che stavano per iniziare. Chi partecipava sulle spalle probabilmente sentiva invece il peso della rappresentanza di quelli che non erano riusciti ad esserci, di tutti quelli che, come loro, sono costretti a battersi per farsi riconoscere il diritto ad amare, vivere, convivere alla luce del sole e della legge.
Sul palco tra una canzone e un bacio di piazza si sono susseguiti gli interventi, concisi, lucidi, sinceri, toccanti, come quello della mamma dell'associazione Agedo che ha spiegato come fosse insopportabile sentir definire i propri figli degli obrobri. Li guardavi, mamma e figlio, li sul palco abbracciati, una famiglia come ce ne sono tante, normali, perché è per l'affermazione della normalità che ci si batte, per chi ancora non lo avesse capito.
Nella piazza, sul palco, c'erano amici, mamme, papà e bambini che dovevano aver imparato a zompettare da pochi mesi, quei bambini che un domani dovranno vivere nel paese che stiamo cercando di costruire, a fatica, oggi. Un paese che vive nel paradosso del lecito truffare, ma illecito baciare chi si ama, di qualunque sesso esso sia.
Prima di concludere, forse avrei dovuto scrivere un post di cronaca con fatti e presenti, ma non me ne vogliate, di quelli ne trovate parecchi sui giornali. Ho preferito invece raccontare quello che mi è uscito dallo stomaco e dal cuore, ieri mentre mi trovavo in mezzo a quelle 200 persone che nulla facevano se non baciarsi con estrema candida normalità.
Un bacio a tutti, dal vostro paz!!
Matteo Castellani Tarabini
Photo credit: Dante Farricella - Studioieffe Modena
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#GiovanardiLimonata: a kiss to say "No" to Giovanardi
Sunday, on the 19th of February, Modena has decided to answer with a protest collective kiss to MP Carlo Giovanardi's statement at Radio 24, where he said that a public kiss between two women is the same thing as a person peeing on the street.
It's been a manifestation that was small in numbers but big in content and warm participation of those who were present: it was all organized by Young Democrats of Modena, Arcigay Modena and other associations who have adhered to the initiative.
The location chosen for the protest was Matteotti Square, the same one - wouldn't have turned out so good even if it were done on purpose - where a few thousand women gathered in February last year shouting "If not now, when?" to protest against Berlusconi and his Government, tired of the image of the woman that was constantly given. It's been just a little more than one year, the government has changed, but once again it was necessary to go out and protest against discriminatory statements, to defend rights and freedom that in a democratic country, in 2012, should have been already given for granted.
When I arrived in the square at about 15.40 pm, a group of young people was already there, organizing the last details. There was frenzy, it was the first time a protest of this kind was done in Modena. Those who organized felt on their shoulders the enormous meaning of what was about to begin. Those who participated felt on their shoulders the responsability of representing those that couldn't be there, of those who - just as them - are forced to fight to see their right to love, live and cohabit recognized by society and law.
At 16.00 pm it all started, and if someone expected or hoped for an aggressive contestation, well: they were probably disappointed. The calm tones, the irony of who knows they're right (and it's not clear why they shouldn't be after all) and has nothing to hide because there's nothing bad that they should hide, the pervasive and honest desire to attest rights and freedom, love and affection, simple things, we weren't going for the moon, have transformed those three hours in a joyful party. A party where good music (by Joy Ride) was just good music and kisses were just kisses, no tricks, simple kisses and not deterrent weapons aimed at "bon ton", as someone would have wanted us to think. Just normality. And, with no offense, this is the Italy we want today.
On the stage, between one song and the other and a kiss in the square, there have been several speaches, concise, clear, honest, touching, like that of a mother from the Agedo association who explained how unbearable it is to hear her children defined as abnormal. You could look at them, mother and son, hugging on the stage, a family like many others, normal, because it is for the affirmation of normality that we're fighting, if you hadn't understood it already.
In the square, on stage, there were friends, moms, dads and children who probably learned to walk just a few months earlier, those children who tomorrow will have to live in the country that we're trying to build, with great difficulties, today. A country that lives in the paradox of "fraud is ok", but kissing someone whom you love, regardless of their sex, is not ok.
Before we finish, probably I should have written a post with facts and those who were present, but don't blame me, you can find plenty of those on the newspapers. I prefered to tell what came out of my heart and gut yesterday, among those 200 people who didn't do anything but kiss with an extreme, spotless normality.
Kisses to everyone from Paz!
Matteo Castellani Tarabini